Milk yield and fertility of high-yielding dairy cows in a sub-tropical climate during summer and winter

Abstract

The effect of season on milk yield, milk composition, oestrus manifestation, oestrus cycle characteristics and conception rate was studied in high-yielding Israeli-Friesian cows. ‘Summer’ cows were allotted to control (SC) and forced ventilation (SV) groups. ‘Winter’ cows (W) were kept in one group. During July-September mean rectal temperatures at 16.00 h in primiparous and multiparous cows were 39·6 and 39·8°C, respectively in cows of the SC group, and 39·4 and 39·3°C, respectively in cows of the SV group. Mean rectal temperatures at 16.00 h of the animals in the W group during December-March were 38·9°C in both primiparous and multiparous cows. The mean 122-d milk yields in primiparous cows were 3508, 3251 and 3571 kg/cow in the SC, SV and W groups respectively (not significant (NS)). In the multiparous cows the respective yields were 4183, 4416 and 4538 kg/cow (P < 0·05). Differences in milk composition were small and statistically NS.Observations on oestrus manifestation, performed 4 times daily, indicated that standing oestrus lasted 9·2 and 10·6 h in primiparous and multiparous cows respectively (P < 0·05); differences between groups were statistically not significant. Oestrous cycle lengths of primiparous and multiparous cows were 21·1 and 22·5 d respectively (P < 0·05) between ovulations and 23·0 and 28·05 d respectively (P < 0·01) between standing heats. Cows were inseminated following standing heat only. Conception rates (on all services within experimental periods) in primiparous cows were 50, 35 and 72% in the SC, SV and W groups respectively (NS). In the multiparous cows, the respective rates were 22, 52 and 80% (P < 0·05).It is concluded that in the present experiment hyperthermy decreased milk production to a very small extent, in spite of very high milk yields, but fertility was severely affected. It is also suggested that primiparous cows are less affected by heat stress than multiparous cows.